Suzanne Schulting ‘smooth and sovereign’ through first World Short Track Championships day
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There was more to lose than to win on the first day of competition in Rotterdam on Friday. For Suzanne Schulting, the question was whether she could transfer the progress made from a couple of tough weeks of training onto the ice. That question was answered with a resounding ‘yes’, although the short track champion herself is still holding back.
Schulting felt herself getting better and better in recent weeks, hoping to peak after last year’s enforced rest towards the World Championships her own country. That worked out well, is the provisional conclusion after the first day. In the training sessions in recent weeks, national coach Niels Kerstholt increasingly saw the ‘old Suzanne’ and in front of the audience that was also the case. At all her distances the Frisian went through to the main programme first, during the quarter-finals of the relay she placed the decisive acceleration and was able to push teammate Xandra Velzeboer towards the final laps with a great starting position.
All day, the face of the reigning world champion in the 1500 metres was tight: focused on the job at hand. Completing the mission is still some time away, but the results speak for themselves. Schulting’s good feeling was at least as important ahead of a long weekend of competition. “That’s what I value most,” she smiled. “I feel really good, things are going really well and it shows on the ice.” On such a first World Champioships day, there is more to lose than to win, Schulting did what was expected of her. “Staying put, not making any unnecessary mistakes. I got through the day very smoothly and sovereignly, I can be very happy with that.”
After her comeback in the Dresden and Gdansk World Cups, Schulting had some homework to do to really get back on track. That progress was already being felt in recent weeks, but getting it expressed in results is even nicer. “I feel a lot better than four weeks ago, I feel that myself on the ice. It’s confirmation of what I secretly already knew from the training sessions. But that is reflected today and I am very happy with that.”
Still, some question marks remain. In Friday’s heats, Schulting did not meet her biggest competitors for medals, was the gap sometimes closed with a simple acceleration. “I go into the weekend with a lot of confidence,” concluded the grande dame of the Dutch short track circuit.
